Machine for applying piping and the like to leather goods



NOV. 10, 1936. I J. J DONOVAN 2,060,288

MACHINE FOR APPLYING PIPING AND THE LIKE TO LEATHER GOODS Filed March 24, 1933 2 SheetsSheet '1 NVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Nov. 10, 1936. .1. J. DONOVAN MACHINE FOR APPLYING PIPING AND THE LIKE TO LEATHER GOODS Filed March 24, 19.33 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

IIIIIIIIlllllillllvvllllr;ivluiin inai rlllll Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR APPLYING PIPING AND THE LIKE TO LEATHER GOODS 6 Claims.

It is a common practice to apply narrow strips of sheet material such as piping, reinforcing tape, binding, and the like, to the margins or edges of shoe uppers and various other kinds of leather goods. In my prior Patent No. 1,768,236, granted June 24, 1930, I have shown a machine adapted especially for this purpose. The present invention relates to machines of this general type and it aims to improve such machines with a View to enabling them to handle a wider variety of work.

In commercial machines of the general character above indicated it is difiicult to apply tapes and similar materials to the margins of shoe uppers and other leather goods when such margins include sharp curves or angles. Frequently it is necessary to stop the machine at these portions of the work and to cut or snip the piping, tape, or the like, in order to round such a corner or angle. Furthermore, it is difficult to guide the tape and the work properly at these points and to hold them in the desired relationship. The present invention deals especially with this problem and aims to devise a thoroughly practical solution for it.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of those parts of a taping r piping machine with which the present invention is more especially concerned;

Fig. 2 is a View, partly in end elevation and partly in vertical section, of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view approximately on the line 3-3, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of a slightly different arrangement.

The machine shown in the drawings is similar in many respects to a sewing machine of the type commonly used in the shoe industry, but differs from it in certain radical and important particulars. It comprises a work supporting table 2 in which is mounted a reciprocating feed dog or plate 3. Cooperating with this feed dog are alternately operating presser feet 4 and 5, respectively. The feed plate 3 is slotted, as best shown in Fig. 2, for the passage therethrough of the tape, piping, or other strip material S which is to be applied to the upper or other article of work W. Except for this change in the construction of the feed plate, however, the parts 3, 4, and. 5 may be constructed, arranged and operated in the well known manner. In fact, a known operating mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 for operating the presser feet 4 and 5. In addition, the machine is equipped with the usual lever 6 for raising and lowering both presser feet. 6 When the machine is in operation and the presser feet are lowered, as shown in Fig. 2, they 00- operate with the feed dog 3 to feed the work toward the left through the machine. The timing of the movement of the parts is such that the 10 foot 5 and plate 3 carry both the Work and the strip material S toward the left while the foot 4 is lifted slightly off the work. At substantially the completion of this movement, the foot 4 comes down on the work while the foot 5 is lifted, and it holds the work While the foot 5 moves forward or toward the right into position for another feeding movement. In the meantime the feed plate 3 also moves. toward the right in readiness for a second feeding movement of the work. The rearward foot 4 rises as the forward foot 5 comes into engagement with the work again and thus leaves the work free to be fed by the next rearward movement of the parts 3 and 5. If the upper surface of the strip material S is coated with an adhesive so that it is tacky or sticky when it comes into contact with the lower surface of the work W, then the two parts will be secured adhesively to each other by the feeding and pressing-operations performed in the manner just described. In these respects the present machine is essentially like that shown in my patent above designated. This mechanism works very satisfactorilyon either straight or curved edges so long as the curves or corners are not too sharp. 5

In order to enable the machine better to handle work of the latter type, I have equipped the machine with a mechanism which serves to hold both the strip material and the upper leather against slipping, one relatively to the other, while the work is being swung relatively to the feeding mechanism for the purpose of turning sharp corners or angles. In the particular construction shown this mechanism comprises an awl or needle I with means for operating it, and controlling devices for enabling the operator to throw the awl into or out of action whenever desired without interrupting the operation of the machine. As shown, the awl or needle is removablysecured in the lower end of a bar 8 which slides within a hollow tube H], the latter being guided in the carrier l2 for the forward presser foot 5. The tube I0 is secured rigidly in a block or holder l3 to which the pitman rod l4 of the usual needle operating mechanism is pivoted so that this tube I is constantly reciprocated while the machine is in operation. Normally, however, the awl bar 8 is held in a raised or inoperative position by means of a coiled spring which is seated in a recess in the holder [3 and encircles the bar, the upper end of this spring bearing on a head [6 that is pinned to the bar. These parts are so proportioned and designed that so long as the bar 8 is held upwardly by the spring I5, the awl 1 is held constantly out of engagement with the work.

In order to enable the operator to bring the awl into operation or to throw it out of action whenever desired, a shaft I1 is mounted in the.

holder or block I3 at right angles to the axis of the bar 8 and a pin I8 is secured eccentrically to the left-hand end of this shaft, so that by turning the shaft into the position shown in Fig.. 2 the pin will engage the head l6 and force the bar 8 downwardly, thus lowering the awl sufficiently to causeit to engage the work; or by turning the shaft 180 and, into the position shown in Fig. 1, it will allow the spring l5to raise the awl sufficiently to hold it out of contact with the work.

A thumb piece 20 on the end of the shaft facilitates the turning of the shaft by the operator. It will be observed that since the shaft is carried by the block or holder l3, it is moved in unison with the tube or hollow shaft ID. Also, that the eccentricity of the pin l8 with reference to the head I6 is such that these two elements are constantly held in engagement with each other by the spring l5. Preferably the awl bar 8 is not allowed to turn within the sleeve ID, the sleeve for this purpose being slotted as shown at 2|, Fig. 2 to receive a key or pin which extends transversely through the bar 8.

When the awl is in operation it pierces the strip S and upper W and acts as a pivot on which both the strip and the work can swing to turn a corner or round a sharp curve. The movements of the awl can be so timed that it will pierce the strip and the leather at a time when it is not clamped by either presser foot, or the presser feet can be lifted off the work momentarily by raising the lever 6 while the work is swung with reference to them. In either event it is not necessary to stop the machine, although this can be done if desired for any reason. Obviously, however, the awl can be thrown into or out of its operating position whenever desired and without interfering in any way with the other operations of the machine.

This arrangement thus makes it possible to turn sharp corners and difficult angles which usually have been particularly troublesome in prior commercial machines for performing this work. Preferably the awl should be so set that it will not punch completely through the upper and the piping but will pierce the upper and the point of the awl will extend into the piping for a sufficient distanceto hold these two parts against relative slipping while they are swung through the desired angle. The invention is particularly useful in applying piping to the upper because of the fact that the amount by which the margin of the piping projects beyond the edge of the upper should be maintained very accurately. In other words, the exposure of a piping beyond the edge of the leather should be absolutely uniform. This has been a particularly difficult result to obtain with prior constructions during the turning of corners or angles and it is an object which can be realized with the arrangement above described because of the fact that the upper and work are held positively by the awl with their edges in the correct relationship at approximately the region of application of the pressure while the work is being swung as required to accommodate the contour of its edges.

During the period in which the awl is not used, the edge of the piping is guided solely by the edge of the aperture or slot in the feed plate through which it travels, and the adjacent edge of the upper W is guided by a pin 23 which either is set into the work table 2 or, as shown in the drawings, is carried by a thin plate 24 that rests on the table and is secured adjustably thereto by a screw 25, this screw passing through a slot in the shank of the plate. Such an arrangement provides for the adjustment of the pin into any desired relationship to the slot, while requiring only relatively thin parts to support the pin so that these parts do not interfere with the free movement of the work into any position on the table. In addition, the pin is located immediately beside the path of travel of the needle, as best shown in Fig. 3, so that neither element interferes with the functions of the other.

In the event that the piping or other strip material to be applied to the work is coated with an adhesive which is normally non-tacky but is adapted to be rendered tacky by the application of heat, this piping may be run through any suitable heating apparatus located below the table 2 to soften the adhesive, or heat may be applied to it in any other convenient manner, as, for example, by blowing hot air against the upper adhesively coated surface of the tape through a tube 26, Fig. 4, the particular manner in which the heat is applied being immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other forms, and that it may be used in connection with known machines of other types than that particularly shown while still retaining the essential features and characteristics of the invention.

Having. thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1.. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a support for a shoe upper or the like, means for guiding a strip of adhesively coated sheet material into contact with said upper, means for pressing said strip and upper together to unite them adhesively to each other, and power operated means arranged to be thrown into and out of operation at will and while the machine continues in normal operation for holdingsaid strip and upper against slipping, one relatively to the other, during the operation of the machine on them and while they are swung relatively to said guiding and pressing means in applying said strip material to curved or angular portions of the work. i

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a support for a shoe upper or the like, means for guiding a strip of adhesively coated sheet material into contact with said upper, mechanism for feeding said strip and upper and pressing them together to unite them adhesively to each other, power operated means additional to said feeding and pressing means for holding said strip and upper against slipping, one relatively to the other, during the operation of the machine on them and while they are swung relatively to said guiding and feeding means in applying said strip material to curved or angular portions of the work, and means operable to throw said power operated means into and out of operation while the machine continues to operate uninterruptedly.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a table for supporting a shoe upper or similar article of work, means for guiding a strip of adhesively coated sheet material through said table from the lower to the upper side thereof and into contact with said upper with the adhesive coating on said strip engaging the lower surface of said upper, mechanism for pressing said strip and upper together and feeding them across said table, power operated means additional to said feeding and pressing means for holding said strip and upper against slipping, one relatively to the other, during the operation of the machine on them and while they are swung relatively to said feeding and guiding means in applying said strip material to curved or angular portions of the work, and means operable to throw said power operated means into and out of operation at will and while the machine continues to operate uninterruptedly.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a table for supporting a shoe upper or similar article of work, means for guiding a strip of adhesively coated piping into contact with said upper with the adhesive coating in engagement with the upper, mechanism for pressing said piping against the upper and feeding the piping and the upper together across said table, an awl, means for supporting and operating said awl to cause it to pierce the work when desired and to act as a pivot while the work is swung about the awl in applying the piping to curved or angular portions of the upper, and means operable to throw said awl into and out of action at will without disturbing the operation of said feeding and pressing mechanism.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a table for supporting a shoe upper or similar article of Work, means for guiding a strip of adhesively coated piping intocontact with said upper with the adhesive coating in engagement with the upper, mechanism for pressing said piping against the upper and feeding the piping and the upper together across said table, an awl, mechanism for supporting and operating said awl to cause it to pierce the work and to act as a pivot about which the work may be swung in applying the piping to curved or angular portions of the upper, a work guide located immediately beside the path of travel of the awl, and means operable to throw said awl into and out of action at will without disturbing the operation of said feeding and pressing mechanism.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a table for supporting a shoe upper or similar article of work, means for guiding a strip of adhesively coated piping into contact with said upper with the adhesive coating in engagement with the upper, mechanism for pressing said piping against the upper and feeding the piping and the upper together across said table, an awl, and means for supporting and operating said awl to cause it to pierce the upper and to serve as a pivot while the work is swung about the awl in applying the piping to curved or angular portions of the upper, said supporting and operating means being operable to prevent the awl from piercing completely through the piping in operating on the work.

JOHN J. DONOVAN. 

